


Autumn Leaves

by place_spaceship



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: #Autumn_Aesthetic, #boyfriends, AU - College, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, It's just all fluff, M/M, Mark is a great cook, that's all it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 01:39:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14391492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/place_spaceship/pseuds/place_spaceship
Summary: Mark and Donghyuck enjoy a nice day eating, eating at the lake, and talking about feelings.[Really, this is just to satisfy my Markhyuck cravings lmao]





	Autumn Leaves

Donghyuck, to Mark, was so beautiful. He was the most kind-hearted, warm person Mark had ever met. Donghyuck had always made Mark stop and stare, usually for the most absurd reasons. One time, Donghyuck dipped his hands in a pot of flour and clapped them together just to see what would happen. The flour, of course, splattered all over himself. Mark sat there and watched as the biggest and brightest smile became plastered across Donghyuck's face. That, in itself, made Mark happy. To see Donghyuck finding joy in the smallest things made him feel like they hadn’t lost the innocence of childhood. Mark absolutely loved him, and Donghyuck knew it. They were perfectly in love.

 

Mark, to Donghyuck, was the light in the dark. He was there for him in times when nobody else was. Donghyuck was so thankful to have someone like Mark in his life. One time, Mark saw that Donghyuck’s Uni schedule was hectic one day, having classes from 8am-7pm with a one hour break from 1-2. So, Mark had the idea to buy Donghyuck his favourite cheap food, sushi, and bring it to him at the start of his break. Donghyuck’s heart melted at the sight of Mark. To have someone as thoughtful as Mark in his life, he felt cared for. Not to mention how unbelievably ethereal Mark was. Donghyuck absolutely loved him, and Mark knew it. They were happily in love.

 

One Sunday morning, Mark woke with a slow start. He reached his hands to the other side of the bed to find Donghyuck, but he wasn’t there. Mark shot up with a look of confusion and stared around the room curiously. “Hyuck!” He called out, and turned his head to stick his ear out and listen carefully. There was no response. With a grunt, Mark hoisted himself up from the bed and waddled across the wooden floor of their bedroom to get out the door. Almost immediately did he realise though, that Donghyuck was probably in the shower. He heard the faint sounds of water rushing as he continued down the hall. He stopped in front of the bathroom door and pressed his ear tightly against the wood. He heard some slight humming and then the shower curtain slide close, “Morning, Hyuck!” He shouted. A loud crash came from inside the bathroom. Donghyuck had slipped back in the shower. He panted on the floor for a second and before picking himself up again,  
“Don’t scare me like that, oh my god!” Shouted Donghyuck, trying to get his bearings back. Mark laughed in silence,  
“Sorry, Hyuck. I’ll make breakfast?” He said, trying to compensate for almost giving Donghyuck a heart attack,  
“That’s right you’ll make breakfast, and I want two eggs this time, not one. I was still hungry yesterday,” commanded the younger boy. Mark nodded,  
“Ok, ok. I love you,” he said. He waited for Donghyuck to reply before leaving,  
“…yeah, I love you too,” mumbled Donghyuck. Mark smiled to himself and made his exit.

 

At breakfast, they sat at the small dining table in silence, devouring the excellent breakfast. Mark was always the better cook. Donghyuck likes learning from him, too. Mark taught Donghyuck to make an omelette that even he would be jealous of making. After a few minutes of eating, Mark put down his knife and fork and looked across the table at the shorter male,  
“Hey, Hyuck?” He said. Donghyuck chewed, swallowed, and replied,  
“Yes, handsome?” he said. Mark grew a shy smile,  
“When I was cooking breakfast, I thought, what if we go to the lake today?” He said, “It’s a nice day out and we aren’t doing anything else, so why not?” Donghyuck instantly smiled, it was growing rapidly,  
“Yes! Yes! We’re going, oh my god, yes!” He said, putting his knife and fork down. He stood up from his seat and bolted down the hall to the bedroom, “I gotta get the picnic basket, and the blanket, and the pillows, and the snacks, and…” By now, Donghyuck was too far to be heard.  
“What about breakfast?” Said Mark,  
“I’ll finish it soon,” shouted Donghyuck. Mark shook his head and smiled. Both because he knew Donghyuck wouldn’t actually come back and finish his food, and because Donghyuck was happy. Mark just loved making Donghyuck happy, and a trip to the lake would always do it.

 

A little while later, after Mark had finished both his food and Donghyuck’s and was making sandwiches to eat at the lake, Donghyuck came back with a mountain of things that he deemed ‘necessary’ for a day at the lake. These things included: A whicker picnic basket, a big green and black woollen blanket, two pillows, his big Winnie-the-Pooh teddy, and a bluetooth speaker. He dropped the pile on to the couch and started sorting through it all,  
“It’s been a while since we went to the lake, hasn’t it?” He said, folding the blanket,  
“Yeah, should be a nice day to spend,” said Mark, “windy, though. I can see the trees getting blown around.” He had just made four sandwiches and two filled rolls. Donghyuck took note of how carefully his boyfriend had packed the rolls. He was so cute, it made him shudder in excitement. Donghyuck finished folding the blanket, sat it down on the couch, propped Pooh upright on it, and then scurried over and wrapped his arms around Mark’s hips, catching him by surprise,  
“It’s gonna be a really good day, I can tell,” said Donghyuck. He started swaying Mark in his arms, rocking him as he put his own head to rest against the older boy’s back. Mark felt his heart swell with comfort, his heart started racing but he felt an absolute calmness that he had only known after being with Donghyuck,  
“I love you, Hyuck,” said Mark. He finished wrapping the last of the rolls in tin foil and grabbed hold of Donghyuck’s hands, and he brought them up to his lips to press a soft kiss to his skin, and intertwining their fingers. He closed his eyes, taking in the moment,  
“I love you too, Mark,” said Donghyuck, also closed his eyes and swayed along, feeling the autumn breeze brush the trees.

 

The couple loaded up the last of the items into Mark’s Jeep and made sure that everything sat in place,  
“I think that was all, right?” said Mark, peering around in the back of the Jeep,  
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s it,” said Donghyuck. He opened the garage door and watched it rise up to reveal their long driveway. Mark went back in through the door to the house to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything, and in no time, they were in the truck and ready to leave. The engine started up and soon enough, they were on their way.

 

The drive to the lake had kept Donghyuck enchanted for as long as he can remember, passing the suburbs lined with beautiful Evergreens, and watching as the clouds danced with the horizon on the mountain tops. He smiled to himself and leaned his head against the window sill, his hand in Mark’s as the older steered with the other. The truck filled with the sounds of Mark’s playlist as they drove down through the countryside.

 

Lake Hamilton was a beautiful spectacle. It was completely surrounded by trees lining all along the banks and had beautiful water lilies floating on the surface of its waters. Since it was autumn, the leaves were withering away and turning soft shades of orange and brown and the air was just a little more crisp and chilly than what it would have been only weeks ago. As the two pulled into the road headed for the lake, Donghyuck watched the tall tree tops pass overhead and exclaimed in awe at how beautiful they looked and as they pushed further through the trees, the lake became visible and they both left wide eyed expressions at the sight. Donghyuck became more apparently excited and Mark smiled in the driver’s seat. They pulled up just behind the small fence at the lake’s shore and Mark turned the engine off,  
“Argh, so pretty!” he said, he flailed his arms about and grew a smile from corner to corner, “And we’re the only ones here!” It wasn’t hard to be alone at the lake, it would basically be deserted after the summer months were over.  
“I know!” said Donghyuck, “Ooh I can’t wait!” He unbuckled himself and leaped out the door to grab his mountain of ‘essential’ items. Mark couldn’t have been faster to help.

 

With no time to waste, the couple had set up their picnic spot at the lake’s edge, with the contents of the whicker basket laid out on the picnic blanket.  
“Sandwich!” said Donghyuck, his hands shot for the stack of tin foil. Mark reached for the strawberries. He plucked one out and caught Donghyuck’s eyes, he froze, “I didn’t know you brought strawberries,” said Donghyuck, Mark nodded,  
“Looks nice, right?” He teasingly waved the strawberry in mid-air and smirked. Donghyuck opened his mouth with an enthusiastic ‘Ahh’ sound. But Mark didn’t give it to him, instead he ate it himself, how rude. He slipped the fruit right past his teeth and bit down on it. Donghyuck watched in disbelief,  
“Um… What?” He said. Mark didn’t say anything, he just sat there smugly. Donghyuck cleared his throat and tried again, ‘Ahh’, he thought maybe Mark just didn’t hear him. But once again, another strawberry eaten by the older boy. Now Donghyuck was certain he was doing this on purpose. While Mark had his eyes closed, trying to look seductive, Donghyuck snatched the container of strawberries from his hands. Mark’s plan failed, originally, it was a ploy to get Donghyuck to get all cute and angry but it turned out that Donghyuck was just angry. “Don’t try playing me like this,” said Donghyuck, now munching happily on the strawberries,  
“Fine, I didn’t want them anyway,” said Mark, childishly. Donghyuck laughed and soon after, so did Mark. They enjoyed the time they had listening to Mark's old school rap playlist and watching the ducks on the lake glaze over the water. It was nice here.

 

Once the food was all gone, they packed all the scraps back in to the basket and set it off to the side of the blanket to make room for the lie down. Donghyuck’s head rested on top of Mark’s arm while his left arm was thrown over the older boy’s chest and his fingers running through the thick black strands of hair on Mark’s head.  
“That one looks like a bunny,” said Mark. Donghyuck disagreed,  
“No, it looks like a cat,” he said.  
“Cats don’t have thick, gigantic folded looking ears,” said Mark.  
“Oh, fine, it’s a bunny,” said Donghyuck, complaining, “Ooh, that one looks like a big boat.” The couple was cloud watching, just an average past-time for a nice day. They usually did this out in their small backyard on this very picnic blanket. They both loved it. Mark gasped,  
“Speaking of boats!” He said, excitedly. Donghyuck shot up a look of confusion at Mark,  
“You’re on about the shed are you?” he said, “It’s probably not even open, there even aren’t any fisherman here.” Mark smirked,  
“We won’t know if it’s open until we try,” he said, “and even if it isn’t, well,” he shrugged his shoulders mischievously. 

 

On the other side of the lake was a little boat shed, worn and old but quaint, where they kept small paddle boats for people to go out on the lake. “Race you to the shed?” said Mark. Donghyuck scoffed,  
“You will lose, you know that, right?” he said,  
“Show me,” said Mark, “loser has to carry the boat to the water.” They shook their bodies out and prepared,  
“3, 2 -” Mark took off with a head start,  
“CHEATER!” screamed Donghyuck. He didn’t mind though, he knew he would win, he was the faster of the two. 200 metres around the lake they went and sure enough, Donghyuck won. With a lot of huffing and puffing Mark whined,  
“I had sore legs,” he said as he leaned up against the shed,  
“Yeah, yeah,” said Donghyuck, rolling his eyes. He pulled Mark’s chin and leaned into a kiss, “Maybe next time,” he said. Mark smiled and watched as Donghyuck turned his attention to the door of the shed. He turned the door knob but it caught and didn’t open, “Yeah, I don’t think it’s open,” he said. He turned to look at Mark but he wasn’t there, “Babe,” he said, He turned the corner of the shed where Mark was standing just seconds ago but he wasn’t there either. He then heard a loud thud come from inside the shed and he flinched, “What the-” he said before the door started opening. He was already starting to run, there wasn’t even time to scream. But out of the shed popped Mark,  
“Hyuck!” He called out, Donghyuck had already made it a fair distance away. The younger turned around and exclaimed a string of curse words, “Where’re you going?” Mark laughed, “It’s just me.” Starting back towards the shed, Donghyuck kept mumbling curse words to himself. Mark started dragging out one of the boats, it was a black wooden canoe. Donghyuck took hold of the other side and they got it out on to the bank.  
“How did you get in?” Asked Donghyuck, he dragged the nose of canoe to the water,  
“There may or may not have been a slight crack in the window,” said Mark, cautiously. Donghyuck gasped and dropped his end of the canoe on the water,  
“You broke the window?!” He exclaimed,  
“It might have been me. But let’s not point fingers alright,” he said, letting his end down, “We’ve got the boat and we’ll just put it back after.” Donghyuck  compromised,  
“Fine, but we better not get caught or I’m blaming you,” he said. Mark nodded,  
“Yeah, whatever,” he said as he took the ores out of the canoe and handed one to Donghyuck.

 

They didn’t want to get wet so they stepped on to the canoe and pushed away from the bank by means of the upper end of the ore. Mark sat right next to Donghyuck as he started paddling. They paddled till they were right in the middle of the lake and then the pulled the ores in and set them right by their feet since there was really nowhere else they could have gone. “It all looks so pretty,” said Donghyuck. His gaze was set on the trees around them, they were being blown in the wind and he watched as one big maple leaf had managed to be blown all the way over to them and land in the canoe. It was late afternoon so sunset was just around the corner and the sky started turning a soft shade of orange and purple. They were surrounded completely by the natural beauty of this lake and Donghyuck was so in love with it. He breathed in the fresh air and exhaled and did it again, “We need to do this more often,” he said. Mark smiled longingly and grabbed his hand,  
“You look so beautiful, Hyuck,” he said. He pulled the younger boy closer to his side and wrapped his arms around his waist tightly and rested his head on Donghyuck’s shoulder, “So beautiful.” Donghyuck felt himself find his peace, in this tranquil place. Mark was his home and he loved him with all his heart. So much so that he felt his emotions building up. Mark could see it, “Let it out, baby, it’s just us here,” and just like that, streaks of tears came streaming down Donghyuck’s face. He looked ethereal no matter what state he was in, according to Mark. The bond between these two were just unparalleled, complete trust, complete vulnerability and no abuse.  
“You know I love you, right?” said Donghyuck, Mark nodded in disbelief,  
“Obviously, you tell me everyday,” he said, Donghyuck started laughing,  
“I still can’t fully believe that you wanted me,” said Donghyuck. Mark looked confused,  
“I wouldn’t have wanted you any other way. Your flaws and all,” he said. Donghyuck turned his face and planted another kiss on the older boy’s lips. “Even that one flaw that almost tore us apart forever?” He asked, Mark sighed in content,  
“That’s just one thing we’ll have to learn to overcome. Together, because you’re not alone.” They sat there on the boat, in each other’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> There might be something wrong with Donghyuck but idk if I can be bothered telling that story so I might not write it, idk maybe.


End file.
